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6 Reasons to Keep Marijuana in Your Medicine Cabinet

You might not like to admit it, but your medicine cabinet is stocked with prescriptions. Not only does this clutter bring you down, but having this many little orange bottles can quickly become overwhelming when there's a pill for each and every symptom.

The answer to your medication mess may soon be over, however, because there's something that has more therapeutic and medical benefits than many over-the-counter drugs and even prescription medications: marijuana.

Keeping marijuana in your medicine cabinet and using it as an alternative when treating common symptoms may show it to be more effective than other items you might keep next to it. Plus, you could declutter the cabinet and avoid sifting through labels every time you need a remedy.

While marijuana can be used for a number of medicinal purposes, here are 6 reasons we think marijuana should have a permanent home in your medicine cabinet.

Stress Management

The worst thing you can do is pop a pill every time you get anxious or stressed. It’s a habit many of us have fallen into and it’s a hard one to break. Luckily, marijuana can remedy anxiety symptoms effectively while also providing an alternative to relying on pills. Furthermore, cannabis has minimal addictive properties and minimizes the side effect risks Xanax or Prozac may have. But the trick here is moderation. An article published by Harvard Health Publications discusses how the right amount of marijuana can help deter anxiety, but too much may worsen the effects depending on the strain. While there is only a 20-30% chance of this happening based on their sample size, it should be something to keep in mind. Everything in moderation, right?

Effective Pain Relief

Muscle pain, aches, pains—all of these things are more common than we'd like. Though pain can be an every day struggle for some, these common symptoms are often treated with over the counter or prescription painkillers. This can become a habit—a not very effective one for many individuals. Marijuana, or more specifically THC, is proven to aid in relieving chronic pain and improving sleep with little adverse effects. Studies also indicate that cannabis works as an anti-inflammatory.

Metabolism Boost

While those who regularly enjoy marijuana come in all different shapes and sizes, astudy published in The American Journal of Medicine notes that those who enjoy the herb regularly often have a healthier metabolism and smaller waists. While it isn’t the next “Get Skinny Quick” kind of scheme, marijuana use can actually be a part of a healthy lifestyle. No need for diet pills, just enjoy some flower and hop on your bike.

Diabetes Prevention

A study published by BMJ Open shows that there is a high association between marijuana users and “a lower prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM).” What this means is that marijuana lowers your body’s number of C-reactive protein—a protein that increases the risk of a number of cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes. While further studies are needed to show direct causation, even past, light or heavy marijuana consumers had significantly lower prevalence of DM.

Increased Lung Capacity

A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association discussed the adverse effects of smoking tobacco and marijuana; to the study’s dismay, they found that the users of marijuana showed an increased lung capacity over the length of the long-term study. The study’s marijuana users smoked 2-3 times a month (on average), while tobacco users smoked 7-8 times a day. For smokers looking to kick the habit and get healthier lungs, marijuana is a great replacement for when you need to settle your nerves and get on with your day. It’s far less addictive and users don’t tend to need it as much as those who smoke tobacco.

Sleep Aid

THC acts much like a sedative—of course, this can be dependent on the strain. The article published by Psychology Today discusses how marijuana helps many people suffering from sleep disorders such as insomnia. Marijuana’s many soothing effects lead users to a pain and stress free sleep, which is hard to come by for many busy people. Plus, it's likely to give you a deep, restful sleep, rather than the light and fragmented sleep you experience after drinking alcohol, for example.

While these are just a few medical uses for marijuana, it's clear marijuana is good for more than just getting high. There are many more benefits for specific illnesses and there are likely more left to discover. With the increasing number of studies and more comprehensive research, it would prove beneficial to have a spare container of weed in your medicine cabinet. You never know when you’re going to need it.

6 Reasons to Keep Marijuana in Your Medicine Cabinet

You might not like to admit it, but your medicine cabinet is stocked with prescriptions. Not only does this clutter bring you down, but having this many little orange bottles can quickly become overwhelming when there's a pill for each and every symptom.

The answer to your medication mess may soon be over, however, because there's something that has more therapeutic and medical benefits than many over-the-counter drugs and even prescription medications: marijuana.

Keeping marijuana in your medicine cabinet and using it as an alternative when treating common symptoms may show it to be more effective than other items you might keep next to it. Plus, you could declutter the cabinet and avoid sifting through labels every time you need a remedy.

While marijuana can be used for a number of medicinal purposes, here are 6 reasons we think marijuana should have a permanent home in your medicine cabinet.

Stress Management

The worst thing you can do is pop a pill every time you get anxious or stressed. It’s a habit many of us have fallen into and it’s a hard one to break. Luckily, marijuana can remedy anxiety symptoms effectively while also providing an alternative to relying on pills. Furthermore, cannabis has minimal addictive properties and minimizes the side effect risks Xanax or Prozac may have. But the trick here is moderation. An article published by Harvard Health Publications discusses how the right amount of marijuana can help deter anxiety, but too much may worsen the effects depending on the strain. While there is only a 20-30% chance of this happening based on their sample size, it should be something to keep in mind. Everything in moderation, right?

Effective Pain Relief

Muscle pain, aches, pains—all of these things are more common than we'd like. Though pain can be an every day struggle for some, these common symptoms are often treated with over the counter or prescription painkillers. This can become a habit—a not very effective one for many individuals. Marijuana, or more specifically THC, is proven to aid in relieving chronic pain and improving sleep with little adverse effects. Studies also indicate that cannabis works as an anti-inflammatory.

Metabolism Boost

While those who regularly enjoy marijuana come in all different shapes and sizes, astudy published in The American Journal of Medicine notes that those who enjoy the herb regularly often have a healthier metabolism and smaller waists. While it isn’t the next “Get Skinny Quick” kind of scheme, marijuana use can actually be a part of a healthy lifestyle. No need for diet pills, just enjoy some flower and hop on your bike.

Diabetes Prevention

A study published by BMJ Open shows that there is a high association between marijuana users and “a lower prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM).” What this means is that marijuana lowers your body’s number of C-reactive protein—a protein that increases the risk of a number of cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes. While further studies are needed to show direct causation, even past, light or heavy marijuana consumers had significantly lower prevalence of DM.

Increased Lung Capacity

A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association discussed the adverse effects of smoking tobacco and marijuana; to the study’s dismay, they found that the users of marijuana showed an increased lung capacity over the length of the long-term study. The study’s marijuana users smoked 2-3 times a month (on average), while tobacco users smoked 7-8 times a day. For smokers looking to kick the habit and get healthier lungs, marijuana is a great replacement for when you need to settle your nerves and get on with your day. It’s far less addictive and users don’t tend to need it as much as those who smoke tobacco.

Sleep Aid

THC acts much like a sedative—of course, this can be dependent on the strain. The article published by Psychology Today discusses how marijuana helps many people suffering from sleep disorders such as insomnia. Marijuana’s many soothing effects lead users to a pain and stress free sleep, which is hard to come by for many busy people. Plus, it's likely to give you a deep, restful sleep, rather than the light and fragmented sleep you experience after drinking alcohol, for example.

While these are just a few medical uses for marijuana, it's clear marijuana is good for more than just getting high. There are many more benefits for specific illnesses and there are likely more left to discover. With the increasing number of studies and more comprehensive research, it would prove beneficial to have a spare container of weed in your medicine cabinet. You never know when you’re going to need it.